DENISE, JOHN AND
PETER COATES
Entry 22, £5bnRich List 2017 Billionaires
17 £ 6.5bn £ 800 m ▲
EARL CADOGAN AND FAMILY
PropertyFew two-bedroom flats could be described as a “bargain” at
£1.2m, but when Margaret Thatcher’s former home in Chelsea
went on sale this year it was advertised at well under the
standard price: the property had just 24 years on its lease and
the buyer will have to extend it from the owner, Cadogan Estates.
The Cadogan family owns 93 acres of Kensington and Chelsea,
with nearly half of the £6bn portfolio in shops. Cadogan, 80, has
presided over a hefty investment programme. 2016: £5.7bn, 1618 £ 5.75bn £ 2.55bn ▲
JIM RATCLIFFE
Chemicals 2016: £3.2bn, 30=I want to put the factories back, page 12419 £ 5.534bn £ 704 m ▲
NICKY OPPENHEIMER AND FAMILY
Diamonds and miningThe Oppenheimer Blue diamond was sold for £40m last May.
Oppenheimer’s grandfather Ernest founded the Anglo American
mining giant and later took over the De Beers diamond operation.
Oppenheimer, 71, who has an estate near Maidenhead , sold his
40% stake in De Beers for $5.1bn in 2012. 2016: £4.83bn, 1823 £ 4.865bn £ 345 m ▲
SIR RICHARD BRANSON AND FAMILY
Transport, fi nance and fi tness clubs20 £ 5.176 bn £ 1.826bn ▲
CARRIE AND FRANCOIS PERRODO AND FAMILY
Oil, gas and wineLondon-based Perenco is one of Europe’s leading oil and gas
firms, with operations in 13 countries. It is owned by the Perrodo
family, led by Carrie, 65, and eldest son François, 40, having been
set up by her husband, Hubert, who died in 2006. Carrie, a former
model from Singapore, runs an agency , Carrie’s Models. Her
daughter Nathalie Perrodo-Samani manages the family’s wine
business, including Château Labégorce. 2016: £3.35bn, 2821 £ 5.086bn £ 671 m ▲
JOHN GRAYKEN
Property and investmentGrayken, 60, bought a penthouse in his US home city of Boston in
September for £28m but lives in London, where he snapped up
the Quintain property firm via his private equity outfit Lone Star.
Grayken, who has Irish citizenship , founded Lone Star in 1995. His
property holdings include Wembley Arena. 2016: £4.415bn, 2022 £ 5bn £ 1.235 bn ▲
DENISE, JOHN AND PETER COATES
GamblingDenise Coates became the highest-earning woman in British
business history last year, taking home £117.5m from salary andThe holiday bromance between grinning
plutocrat Sir Richard Branson and the world’s
hippest politician, Barack Obama, added years
to the shelf life of the Virgin tycoon’s credibility.
Branson, who shared the sunkissed moments
on the waves with Obama and his wife, Michelle,
on his company website, has built a brand around
his charisma and as a 66-year-old grandfather
— daughter Holly has two-year-old twins Etta
and Artie, while son Sam’s daughter Eva-Deia is
the same age — it appears that he has still got it.
The former first couple got Branson’s full
concierge-to-the-stars treatment at his privateCaribbean paradise islands Moskito and Necker.
Surf dude Barack’s presidential career had
curtailed his love of catching totally rad
Hawaiian barrels for eight years, a situation
that watersports brother-in-arms Branson
rectified with kitesurfing lessons. The London-
born magnate, who holds the record for the
most people to ride a kitesurf (four), loves a
contest (transatlantic hot air balloon, anyone?)
“We decided to set up a friendly challenge:
could Barack learn to kitesurf before I learned
to foil board?” he wrote on his web page.
The host lost to his guest but can consolehimself that business is booming. Licensing out
the Virgin brand is a huge moneyspinner via his
Virgin Enterprises operation, which is valued at
£1.2bn. Last year Branson sold his 30% share in
the Virgin America airline for £540m and among
other holdings he has stakes worth £330m in
Virgin Atlantic, £530m in Virgin Money and
£180m in Virgin Active. His Virgin Trains, run in
partnership with Stagecoach, the transport
operator founded by Sir Brian Souter and his
sister Ann Gloag (qv), is worth £100m. Cash and
properties valued at £1.1bn take Branson to
£4.865bn this year. 2016: £4.52bn, 19Friends in high places:
Sir Richard Branson with
Barack Obama on a
Caribbean kitesurfi ng trip24 • thesundaytimes.co.uk/richlist